US, Russia push for new Syria cease-fire deal

The United States and Russia said Friday that they have arranged a renewed cease-fire in two parts of Syria where fighting escalated this month, but the area does not include Aleppo, site of the heaviest attacks and dozens of civilian deaths in recent days.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that a “regime of quiet” had been agreed to with the Syrian government in Latakia province, on the Mediterranean coast, to begin at midnight Saturday morning. A senior U.S. State Department official said the “recommitment” to a truce would also cover East Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus.

“For the moment, this is what we have to go forward with, but we are working constantly on Aleppo and other areas,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under guidelines imposed by the State Department.

The agreement — which Russia initially said would last 72 hours but the State Department said was open-ended — came as another wave of airstrikes and shelling swept across Aleppo, where more than 200 people have been killed in the past week. While Syrian government airstrikes were blamed for bombarding a hospital Wednesday, killing at least 50, rebel barrages apparently also contributed to the violence.

Russia reported that its consulate in Aleppo had also been hit by mortars it said were launched by Jabhat al-Nusra, the al-Qaeda affiliate, some